1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,120
Speaker 1: Well, here we go. Data from the Ministry of Primary

2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,120
Speaker 1: Industries has showed a sharp decline in New Zealand forest

3
00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,959
Speaker 1: plantings in New Zealand, which is against a trend I

4
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,119
Speaker 1: would have thought. This year we are planning to plant

5
00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,240
Speaker 1: twenty four percent less than we did last year. So

6
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,680
Speaker 1: within the industry, some should I say, within the industry

7
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,279
Speaker 1: are warning that this could result in a shortage of

8
00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,319
Speaker 1: buyofuel in years to come. So the executive officer of

9
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,240
Speaker 1: Bioenergy Association, Brian Cox, joins me right now, Hello, Brian,

10
00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,280
Speaker 1: good morning. This is surprising because you know we've had

11
00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,840
Speaker 1: so many pro forestry programs through the decades.

12
00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,520
Speaker 2: Oh yes, but markets move up and down according to

13
00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,600
Speaker 2: how people see it, and so what we've got to

14
00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,680
Speaker 2: do is to recognize that, you know, planting the trees

15
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:52,080
Speaker 2: is an opportunity, and that we're not planting now, then

16
00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:57,520
Speaker 2: in twenty thirty years time, we won't have the biomass

17
00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,360
Speaker 2: that we need to make biofuels, and you know that's

18
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:01,840
Speaker 2: what we need.

19
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,240
Speaker 1: Well, we know about the plantings for carbon credits, but

20
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,919
Speaker 1: how much planting happens in New Zealand, specifically for biofuel.

21
00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,040
Speaker 2: We don't actually plant specifically for biofuels. Is that we're

22
00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,280
Speaker 2: fortunate in that we grow trees so well, and we

23
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,039
Speaker 2: grow so much that we're able to use the residues.

24
00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,520
Speaker 2: And it's the residues from harvesting or from wood processing

25
00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,040
Speaker 2: that we use, and that means that it's fully sustainable

26
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,480
Speaker 2: and it's backed on to primary products, whether it's rogs

27
00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,039
Speaker 2: or lumber, and so we're using those residues to be

28
00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,199
Speaker 2: able to basically get one hundred percent of a tree

29
00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,280
Speaker 2: able to be used either in the primary product or

30
00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,440
Speaker 2: through the residues for energy.

31
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,720
Speaker 1: Well, I know from my school biology is that Plantus radiata,

32
00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,880
Speaker 1: which is a common planting tree, grows like billio in

33
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,400
Speaker 1: New Zealand. So do we have the ability if we

34
00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,000
Speaker 1: do the planting, to actually make an awful lot of biofuel.

35
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:05,320
Speaker 2: Yes, we do, and the different species will be useful

36
00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:11,040
Speaker 2: in different categories. Currently we're using the residues from our

37
00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:17,280
Speaker 2: finest radiot of plantations in shopping out coal for process

38
00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,840
Speaker 2: heat and potentially in the South Island, and that's just

39
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:26,040
Speaker 2: been going gangbusters. Is that you know, people recognize that,

40
00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,000
Speaker 2: you know, we can't use coal. Previous government also brought

41
00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,880
Speaker 2: in plans and restrictions on using coal, and so the

42
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,880
Speaker 2: market has responded by using the residues which often would

43
00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,960
Speaker 2: be left in the forest law or not utilized, treasured

44
00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,600
Speaker 2: as waste rather than treated as a valuable product. And

45
00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,320
Speaker 2: what's going to give us the future wealth?

46
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,600
Speaker 1: Exactly? Okay? Well, speaking of future wealth, I mean, can

47
00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,679
Speaker 1: we export this stuff and make money out offshore?

48
00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:01,160
Speaker 2: Yes? We can? Is that you know we I already

49
00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,440
Speaker 2: do export some palettes, not much, but there's a lot

50
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,600
Speaker 2: of the future products like what we call a black palette,

51
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,760
Speaker 2: and that is a very hard palate and that's used

52
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,359
Speaker 2: for power stations like it Huntley, and so we can

53
00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,560
Speaker 2: replace the coal that goes into Huntley by a black

54
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,120
Speaker 2: palette and that's in great demand, especially up through Asia

55
00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,760
Speaker 2: that we can use there. But also you know, we

56
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,880
Speaker 2: as a country with our space and ability to grow trees,

57
00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,200
Speaker 2: when we've got other countries like Singapore and Asia, they

58
00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,000
Speaker 2: don't have the space, they don't have the speed of

59
00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,680
Speaker 2: growing these in the way we can. So we can

60
00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,480
Speaker 2: do that. And so either for export or for domestic use.

61
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,800
Speaker 1: Good South. Ryan Cox, who is from the bio Energy Association,

62
00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:53,640
Speaker 1: he is the executive officer. Thank you so much. For

63
00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,480
Speaker 1: your expertise, So get out there and start planting some forests.

64
00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:57,880
Speaker 1: It's got a double bang.

65
00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,520
Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Hosking Breakfast listen live to

66
00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,720
Speaker 2: News Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow

67
00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,320
Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio